Fig Puffs and the San Diego Fig Festival

These beautiful fig puffs wrapped and baked in puff pastry make an elegant dessert that will certainly delight all of your guests.

Although I am sad to see summer go, I am happy to welcome fall and the wonderful fall fruits and flavors that come with it. One of my family’s favorite jewels of autumn is the fig. Figs are so under-appreciated here in the US, but for those of us from the Middle East and Mediterranean, we know and adore the beautiful fig. And if you are lucky to sample fresh figs, then you really are in for a treat.

Figs are jam-packed with fiber and are a terrific source of energy. They are naturally sweet and oh so delicious. Remember the Fig Newton cookie? I sure do! We always had a pack in the house when I was a kid.

Don’t know what to do with figs?

Well, there are countless ways to enjoy a fig, whether fresh or dried. Today I am sharing a super easy dessert you can make with figs. I wrapped figs stuffed with walnuts & raisins with strips of puff pastry. Dust them powdered sugar or drizzle them with a touch of honey and you have an elegant yet simple dessert to show off to your guests.

Fig Puffs

Author:

Laura Bashar

Fall figs are sweet as candy. Wrapped in crunchy, buttery puff pastry strips and you have an easy, elegant and sweet treat to share. Recipe by Laura Bashar of Family Spice

Ingredients:

1 puff pastry sheet

6 figs, fresh

1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped

1/8 cup raisins, finely chopped

1 tsp brown sugar

1 egg, large

1 tsp water

1 TBS powdered sugar

Directions:

About 30 minutes prior to baking, thaw out:

1 puff pastry sheet

Preheat oven 400ºF. Using a rolling pin, roll out puff pastry sheet to half of its original thickness.

Carefully slide a sharp knife from the top down the center of each fig and spoon inside the nut filling. Do not completely cut the fig in half.

Starting from the top, wrap the strips of puff pastry onto the slightly wet fig. If the fig is completely dry, the puff pastry will adhere to it very well. Add more strips of puff pastry as needed, connecting the ends and rubbing water for them to stick together.

When you get to the bottom of the fig, continue to cover the fig with the puff pastry strips without overlapping too much.

Over 40 chefs will show off their fig creations during the Chef’s Fig Challenge. Displays and booths from several local artisans, businesses, and a Les Dames Pavilion will be offering book signings and tasty fig treats. Meet chefs and wine artisans from the “Taste of Baja” and experience the cross border food and wine explosion of the Guadalupe Valley, Ensenada and Tijuana. Bring your friends and family for a great Sunday afternoon of extraordinary wines, culinary delights, and fig-friendly samples. You’ll also be entertained by the amazing music of the Teagan Taylor Trio. Portion of the proceeds will go to benefit Olivewood Gardens, St. Vincent De Paul, Culinary Arts Program, the San Diego Public Market Kitchen Project and culinary scholarships/grants.

I will be there with Mary/California Greek Girl and my other food blogging friends to share some olive oil treats along with fig munchies.

For more information and tickets please visit the Fig Fest San Diego website.

And check what other food bloggers are doing with their figs for our Fig Fest Blog-Hop!

Disclosure: The California Fig Commission supplied the figs for this recipe. I was not compensated in any other way to write this post. If I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t blog about it!

Reader Interactions

Comments

What positively beautifully composed shots. Stunning still life work. Brava! Figs are so wonderful, and I agree with you. They re terribly underappreciated here in the U.S. Let’s hope that changes. And congratulations on some truly beautiful work.

I haven’t had a Fig Newton in years! Used to love them when I was a kid. And it was the only way I ever had a fig – such a deprived child! Anyway, I’ve really grown to love figs over the years. How cool that San Diego has a fig festival! Lovely Fig Puff – thanks.

Oh how absolutely exquisite! Figs are a favourite of mine and I think it would be amazing to have a Fig Festival! Would love to participate in your blog hop… am in Australia though, does that matter? Beautiful photographs too : )

Figs are one of the reasons I could never be a true Locavore! Ours come from Turkey usually and, although they will grow here if cossetted, they never produce the fat deliciousness of the Turkish ones.

This is by far the best fig puffs I’ve ever seen! Absolutely gorgeous and I love everything in the pictures – including food styling and mood… they made me look forward to autumn! I love figs in baked goods, and this is wonderful!